Buildertrend is a construction management system for home builders, remodelers, specialty contractors and general contractors. It combines project scheduling, project management, financial management, customer management and service...
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Buildertrend is a construction management system for home builders, remodelers, specialty contractors and general contractors. It combines project scheduling, project management, financial management, customer management and service...
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CoConstruct is a project, financial, and client management system for custom home builders and remodelers. It is the only single-entry estimating system that allows each user to enter a piece of information once, and have that data...
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CoConstruct is a project, financial, and client management system for custom home builders and remodelers. It is the only single-entry estimating system that allows each user to enter a piece of information once, and have that data...
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Procore is a cloud-based construction management software application that helps firms increase their project efficiency and accountability by providing streamlined project communication and documentation. Users are able to manage...
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Procore is a cloud-based construction management software application that helps firms increase their project efficiency and accountability by providing streamlined project communication and documentation. Users are able to manage...
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STACK Estimating from STACK Construction Technologies is a cloud-based on-screen takeoff and estimating tool for professional contractors of all business sizes in most trades.
With STACK Estimating, users are able to produce bids...
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STACK Estimating from STACK Construction Technologies is a cloud-based on-screen takeoff and estimating tool for professional contractors of all business sizes in most trades.
With STACK Estimating, users are able to produce bids...
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PlanSwift is an on-screen digitizing and takeoff system that is suitable for both commercial and residential GCs and subcontractors in a number of industries, such as electrical, heavy/highway, plumbing, and custom and production home...
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PlanSwift is an on-screen digitizing and takeoff system that is suitable for both commercial and residential GCs and subcontractors in a number of industries, such as electrical, heavy/highway, plumbing, and custom and production home...
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Contractor Foreman is an integrated cloud-based project management and estimation solution that caters to businesses in the construction industry. Key features include financials and accounting, scheduling and planning, contact management...
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Contractor Foreman is an integrated cloud-based project management and estimation solution that caters to businesses in the construction industry. Key features include financials and accounting, scheduling and planning, contact management...
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RedTeam is a project management, construction financials and document control solution suited for midsize commercial general contractors. It is a cloud-based application developed by contractors to manage pre-construction, construction...
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RedTeam is a project management, construction financials and document control solution suited for midsize commercial general contractors. It is a cloud-based application developed by contractors to manage pre-construction, construction...
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TurboBid is an on-premise estimating software solution for small and midsize contractors designed to help them complete project estimations, regardless of the type of work, whether it's new residential, light commercial, remodeling,...
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TurboBid is an on-premise estimating software solution for small and midsize contractors designed to help them complete project estimations, regardless of the type of work, whether it's new residential, light commercial, remodeling,...
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Electrical Bid Manager Enterprise is the offering of Vision InfoSoft that serves the bid management needs of commercial and residential electrical contractors. The software provides features such as conversion calculators, on-screen...
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Electrical Bid Manager Enterprise is the offering of Vision InfoSoft that serves the bid management needs of commercial and residential electrical contractors. The software provides features such as conversion calculators, on-screen...
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On-Screen Takeoff is a construction estimating and takeoff solutions for contractors and construction professionals. The solution offers tools for estimating, managing bids and having project visibility. Both commercial and residential...
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On-Screen Takeoff is a construction estimating and takeoff solutions for contractors and construction professionals. The solution offers tools for estimating, managing bids and having project visibility. Both commercial and residential...
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Sage 100 Contractor, formerly known as Sage Master Builder, focuses on small to midsize construction companies, whether they are a general contractor, service or specialty contractor or a home builder.
Suitable for companies that...
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Sage 100 Contractor, formerly known as Sage Master Builder, focuses on small to midsize construction companies, whether they are a general contractor, service or specialty contractor or a home builder.
Suitable for companies that...
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PlanGrid is construction management solution built for general contractors, specialty contractors, design teams and owners. PlanGrid provides project teams with access to all project drawings and all related documents including specifications,...
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PlanGrid is construction management solution built for general contractors, specialty contractors, design teams and owners. PlanGrid provides project teams with access to all project drawings and all related documents including specifications,...
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eSUB is a mobile application and cloud-based project management solution that helps commercial subcontractors across various trades to manage day-to-day operations. eSUB offers tools to connect field workers with office managers and...
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eSUB is a mobile application and cloud-based project management solution that helps commercial subcontractors across various trades to manage day-to-day operations. eSUB offers tools to connect field workers with office managers and...
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ComputerEase is a cloud-based construction accounting solution that helps contractors providing different services for a construction project to manage their business operations and routines.
ComputerEase offers features such as job...
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ComputerEase is a cloud-based construction accounting solution that helps contractors providing different services for a construction project to manage their business operations and routines.
ComputerEase offers features such as job...
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Knowify is a cloud-based construction management solution that is designed for residential contractors and small to midsize commercial subcontractors. It is suitable for trades, including Landscaping, roofing and masonry.
Knowify...
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Knowify is a cloud-based construction management solution that is designed for residential contractors and small to midsize commercial subcontractors. It is suitable for trades, including Landscaping, roofing and masonry.
Knowify...
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Accubid offers an estimating program for electrical contractors. The solution offers both cost estimating and digital plan takeoff capabilities in its electrical estimating system. The estimating application can be sold on a best-of-breed...
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Accubid offers an estimating program for electrical contractors. The solution offers both cost estimating and digital plan takeoff capabilities in its electrical estimating system. The estimating application can be sold on a best-of-breed...
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PASKR is a cloud-based construction management solution built for construction teams that enables users to bid, build, and track projects.
PASKR helps to streamline back office and field operations. Users are able to access project-related...
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PASKR is a cloud-based construction management solution built for construction teams that enables users to bid, build, and track projects.
PASKR helps to streamline back office and field operations. Users are able to access project-related...
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FOUNDATION® construction accounting software is a job costing, project management and scheduling solution available as traditional installed software and on the cloud.
The system offers hundreds of automatic job costing reports and...
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FOUNDATION® construction accounting software is a job costing, project management and scheduling solution available as traditional installed software and on the cloud.
The system offers hundreds of automatic job costing reports and...
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It's a challenge to realize all of these traits, so many businesses use subcontractor software to manage the relevant processes. This type of software comes with specialized features to help subcontractors automate project planning, task tracking, cost reporting and document management.

Subcontractors relying on manual methods alone, such as Excel, will invariably create inaccurate project schedules and cost estimates. This will result in project delays and budget overruns, which will tarnish their reputation and hinder their chances of securing future contracts.

We created this Buyer's Guide to help small businesses understand the software market landscape and select a solution that meets their requirements. It lists the common features, key considerations and chief concerns of subcontractor software buyers. It is intended to help both first-time buyers and those looking to switch their existing software.

What Is Subcontractor Software?

Subcontractor software is designed for contractors that offer specialized services such as plumbing, electrical work and roofing.

It helps you create proposals with cost estimates (materials and labor costs) when your business is bidding for a contract. After you win the contract, it helps you track the daily tasks of your employees to ensure that the project is progressing as expected and is on schedule.

Subcontractor software helps you manage both pre- and post-contract activities. We'll look into the details of the features offered in the next section.

Common Features of Subcontractor Software

Subcontractor software is a specialized type of software that falls into the larger ecosystem of construction management software. These tools help you with task scheduling, equipment tracking, document management and cost estimating.

Let's take a closer look at the common features of these solutions:

Document management

Build a central repository to track different versions of documents such as construction plans, RFIs, change orders, submittals and compliance certificates.

Project tracking

Assign and track the people, resources and equipment involved in a project.

Project scheduling

Track a job's progress and ensure that the project stays on track, with regard to the budget and timeline.

Equipment tracking

Track which employees have signed out specific equipment. Also, keep a detailed account of the equipment maintenance history.

What Type of Buyer Are You?

Subcontractor software has different capabilities, from managing project proposals to tracking on-site crew activities. However, having the most features doesn't necessarily make a tool the best one—for your business.

The software must offer adequate functionality to automate existing manual (and often error-prone) processes. But you also need to ensure that you don't overpay for features that you won't use.

Below, we've broken down the three most common buyer types, their chief concerns and the main functionality they should seek in subcontractor software:

Large subcontractors. These buyers (businesses with more than $100 million in annual revenue) typically want solutions that offer all the common features listed above and integrations with their existing accounting and CRM software. They typically require built-in project management functionality with planning and scheduling capabilities, such as Gantt charts, to chart a project's critical path.

Small and midsize subcontractors. These buyers (businesses with $100 million or less in annual revenue) are primarily concerned with the solution's price and ease of use. Such buyers seek cloud-based tools with monthly and annual subscription plans. They also need an intuitive system with features such as a drag-and-drop interface, so they don't have to spend a long time learning how to use the tool.

Best-of-breed buyers. With the many available construction management systems, there has been a rise in stand-alone systems. These tools can be a good option if you're trying to automate a specific business process. For instance, if you're an electrical or flooring contractor struggling to calculate the costs of material and labor, you need an electrical estimating software or flooring estimating software, respectively.

Key Considerations

When purchasing subcontractor software, businesses should also consider factors such as total software ownership costs, deployment and mobile accessibility. Doing so will help them thoroughly analyze the software's suitability to their needs.

Let's look at some of these considerations more closely.

Depth of functionality. Subcontractors need to closely examine the features that a vendor offers. For instance, the ability to upload and edit images on a mobile device is a key need for many construction teams.

In this case, the ideal solution would be a cloud-based one, as real-time document sharing isn't possible with on-premise tools. Likewise, check to see if the tool offers native mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices, so that users don't face any device compatibility challenges.

Another example of a capability to look for is task tracking. This can be as simple as listing which employee is doing what on a spreadsheet. But, if you have large teams, tracking can quickly get out of hand. In such cases, you need detailed tracking with automated reminders, and maybe even time tracking functionality.

Total costs. The cost of software depends largely on its deployment model—whether it's cloud-based or on-premise. A cloud-based solution usually has a monthly or annual subscription fee. Small businesses tend to prefer this over the on-premise model, where they have to pay a one-time license fee, data backup costs and maintenance charges.

However, software costs are not so cut and dry. Businesses should check whether cloud-based solutions charge for training and phone support (they often don't). Further, if a large part of the software functionality depends on third-party add-ons, then the total costs of implementation and customization will increase considerably.

In just fifteen minutes, the experts at Software Advice can help you narrow down the right software for your organization. Call us for a Free FastStart Consultation: (844) 864-6931

How it Works

We match organizations with software that meets their needs.

Our service is simple and 100% free to customers like you because software vendors pay us when we connect them with quality leads. You save time and get great advice. Vendors get great referrals. It's a win for everyone!